Can't a princess ascend the throne?

Chapter 379 I Want to Give Them the Freedom to Choose

Moreover, it seems that fathers inherently have more power than mothers. After all, current laws stipulate that a wife who kills her husband is guilty of the death penalty, while a husband who kills his wife only needs to be sentenced to eighty zhang of imprisonment or a thousand li of exile. He can even redeem himself with money. Isn't this unequal legal system precisely because fathers are considered superior to mothers? Just like in some families where divorce is unavoidable, the children mostly stay with the father rather than the mother.

But Jiu Que defied these ideological and even societal constraints. She openly took her mother's surname and openly inherited her mother's estate. She could even satirize her own father without restraint. Perhaps to those pedantic scholars, Jiu Que's behavior was extremely unfilial, deserving of condemnation.

But Wei Yuan and the others didn't think so. They even admired Jiu Que a little.

"It's nothing, it's nothing. Don't worship me because of this. I just can't stand Lin Wei's self-righteous attitude. Do you think he loves his son that much? Do you really think he came here to seek benefits for that Lin Moran? This time it's for that illegitimate son, next time it will be for himself."

Jiu Que knew Lin Wei's little schemes perfectly well; this man had only ever thought of himself. Back then, he had used his wife's family's reputation and influence to rise all the way to the position of Vice Minister of Rites, but he hadn't made any further progress since then. He had long wanted to climb higher.

Once you reach the position of Vice Minister, further advancement isn't solely based on your own abilities. Even His Majesty has to consider the balance of power among various factions. Besides, does Lin Wei possess any particularly outstanding abilities? If he did, he wouldn't have needed to rely on the reputation and influence of General Ying's mansion to climb the ranks.

Today's commotion was merely to probe Jiu Que's intentions. If Jiu Que showed even the slightest bit of fatherly affection for him today, revealing even the slightest hint of weakness, he would certainly take advantage of the situation next time.

"A man like him will never be satisfied. Especially when he sees his own daughter, whom he doesn't even like, climbing on top of him. He's insatiable."

As for the questions raised by Wei Yuan and Chunyu Shuang, Jiu Que has his own opinion.

"The reason why people in this world value their fathers more than their mothers is not because of the ridiculous notion of a strict father and a kind mother. It's because people are born with an innate yearning for power. Ninety-nine percent of those in power in this world are men. Children, especially sons, are born to inherit the power from their fathers. They are a natural unity of interests. Naturally, they will band together to protect each other's rights."

"If it were a matriarchal society, where mothers would have more power and authority, the world might have changed in a different way."

"However, this kind of topsy-turvy worship is really meaningless. Why not pursue equality? Not all women in this world like to stay in the inner courtyard and have children. They can get married and have children, or they can go out to work, do business, work as craftsmen, or even serve as officials in the court. They should have freedom, the freedom to choose what to do and not to do."

"Sometimes being a woman isn't a gender, but a situation. There aren't many people in this world with truly strong willpower to ignore all the dissenting voices around them; most just go with the flow. Because that's the nature of humans. If they're different from those around them, they'll secretly feel anxious, wondering if there's something wrong with them. But we're all born different. Are the things that everyone around us does necessarily right?"

"When a woman reaches her prime, she must choose a suitable husband, marry, and have children; otherwise, she is considered an incomplete woman. But some people in this world prefer to spend their lives with their partners until old age, while others wish to live a quiet and peaceful life alone. People with such thoughts should not be discriminated against or seen as outcasts. They are simply making different choices. Just as some men are born with ambition, wanting to climb the social ladder, to wield power, and to become figures who will be remembered in history, there is nothing wrong with that. Why can't women do the same? Isn't it because society places too many demands and expectations on women?"

"I know many women don't understand that they've lost the freedom to choose, but that's okay, I will give them that freedom." Jiu Que said this quite naturally, as if it were a matter of course. But the shock it brought to those around him was unparalleled.

Chunyu Shuang wanted to smash the table. Even Cui Zhufeng's eyes shone with excitement. Xie Mingchen was always calm and indifferent, but he had a natural compassion for doctors and didn't think there was any difference between men and women except for their physiological differences. At this moment, he felt it was perfectly natural.

The only one who was truly shocked was probably Wei Yuan. He stared at Jiu Que in disbelief. He should have thought these words were utterly treasonous, but for some reason, a voice inside him was desperately shouting, "This is the right thing to do!"
In the end, he could only manage a bitter smile.

"I think you're right."

Jiu Que laughed heartily, while patting Senior Cui, who seemed to have sensed something.

"That's natural."

People have made great strides on this path before, so she can't let this spark go out, can she?

The minor incident quickly subsided, but unseen by most, some people were still watching silently.

After hearing the comforting report, Emperor Jingtai remained silent for a long time, causing Jiu Fu, who was attending to him, to break out in a cold sweat. How could Prince Rui be so prone to causing trouble? His unconventional behavior was one thing, but what time was it? They were at the center of a storm; how could he not be careful?
Oh dear, if this displeases His Majesty, the newly appointed Prince Rui may be in danger.

Unexpectedly, a moment later, just as Jiu Fu himself could no longer bear the deathly silence, Emperor Jingtai suddenly chuckled softly.

"It is said that great sages behave differently from the common people, and Jiuque is indeed a gift from heaven. People in this world have long favored men over women, but everyone seems to have accepted this social rule. Even if they see something is wrong, they either remain indifferent as if it is none of their business, or they deceive themselves, believing that they have no power to change it. Who else can be like this child, who not only saw something was wrong, but also got to the point where he can change it? This child is truly amazing."

"..."

The previously worried Eunuch Jiu Fu was completely dumbfounded. "No, Your Majesty, this old servant knows you like Prince Rui very much, but how can you excuse her for something like this?"
But then again, His Majesty has never been one to follow the rules; otherwise, he wouldn't have started the rebellion in the first place. Perhaps only exceptionally intelligent people like them could understand each other's thoughts.

How many times has he guessed wrong about His Majesty's attitude towards Prince Rui? It seems he still has a lot to learn as the chief eunuch.